Connecting People With Technical Updates

Google has just made available to download Android N Developer Preview 2 for supported Nexus 6P, 5X, 6, 9, Pixel C and Android One General Mobile 4G devices. This new build of Android N comes in a month after it was first announced by Google and subsequently released first preview version to developers and testers. Now that the second Android N Developer Preview build is here. Test drive and give a feedback about it in the sections below.

In Android N DP 2, Google has indeed added a number a new changes, bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. The Developer Preview 2’s new features include Vulkan, which is basically a new 3D rendering API. Launcher shortcuts, which if incorportaed in the apps by developers, will help users launch specific actions in the app directly from the icon on the main launcher screen with a gesture. Barrowed from Apple’s ecosystem, Launcher shortcuts works as 3D Touch Quick Actions in iOS without pressure sensitive gesture.

Also included is support for Unicode 9, with a complete redesign for emojis that have been already used to in Android in favor of a more human-looking design. Here’s what the newly refreshed emoji look like:

Those already enrolled in the Beta program, on your device, simply head to Settings > About phone > System updates and then tap on Check for update button. Once the new OTA upadte for Android N dDeveloper Preview 2 shows up, download and install it to get onto the latest version.